Of Love and Rivalry
by PinkMiranda
Summary: Elle Rose finally gets to become a Pokémon trainer. Unfortunately, so does her rival, Gary Oak. Once best friends, now bitter enemies, will the two ever be able to settle their differences?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Pokémon. Enough said. All original characters are copyrighted to me, though. Enjoy!

**Prologue**

Elle Rose was sitting on her roof, dressed in blue boxers and a white tank top. She had no shoes on: instead, she let her legs and feet dangle freely into the air. It was around midnight, but she couldn't sleep. As a substitute, she decided to go star gazing, something she had taken a liking to ever since she was a little girl. The night sky, shrouded in its mysterious velvety black, seemed to whisper its secrets every time the ten year-old girl beckoned to it. This time, she stared into its penetrating abyss in search of comfort: tomorrow was the day she would begin her Pokémon journey, something she had been waiting for all her life.

Hot, summer wind blew briskly through her brown hair, ruffling its delicate curls. Sighing, Elle drew her caramel eyes to the moon. It was full and beautiful, its pastel white color shining brightly over the land. The girl smiled. She had tried to control herself, but she couldn't help it, her excitement was immense. She loved the feeling of having sweet adrenaline flow through her veins at the mere thought of beginning an adventure, a real one at that. No more stalking trainers on TV, no more sneaking away into the forest to befriend Pokémon, no more restraints: that, to her, came as an enormous relief. Best of all, she knew exactly which starter pocket monster she would get: a Charmander. It fit her fiery temper perfectly, and she loved dragons. Her biggest wish was to fly around the world on the back of a loyal Charizard, a wish that could be granted in a nearby future, she realized. She would have to tell Gary…someday. Never. Maybe? No, she couldn't. They weren't friends. At least, not anymore.

Gary Oak was the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak, the leading authority on Pokémon around the world. When they were little, Gary and Elle spent most of their days together, pretending to be Pokémon masters, usually annoying Ash Ketchum in the process, another child from Pallet Town, who had always been a little jealous of the attention his rival got from the little girl. However, Elle was and always had been a good friend to Ash either way, defending him whenever Gary decided to pick on the boy. Gary resented this and always tried to drag her into his mischief, but never managed to do so. Their love for Pokémon and their similar personalities had made them an unbeatable team. Nearly as close as brother and sister, no one would have expected that the two would one day detest each other with a passion. It was truly sad.

As the young lady stared into space with nostalgia, she couldn't help but remember what had happened, exactly three years ago...

_"Gary! Gary, wait up!" yelled an exhausted 7 year-old Elle. She had been running for at least ten minutes before catching up to him._

_"Go away." _

_"No!" _

_"Look, Elle, I just want to be alone, alright?" responded Gary, who had finally stopped in his tracks. He didn't seem tired at all._

_"Why did you just suddenly run away like that! Everyone is worried about you!" _

_"Oh sure, I bet everyone's too busy with Ashy-boy to even notice I'm gone", snorted the boy, digging his shoe into the ground. _

_"It's his birthday, Gary, what did you expect?" asked the brunette. _

_"Hmph." _

_"Don't turn your back on me, Gary Oak!"_

_"I'll do what I want." _

_"Why are you acting like this?" Elle cried, grabbing __softly onto his arm. _

_For a split second, Gary's eyes lit up. He stared longingly at her hand, as if momentarily forgetting why he was even mad in the first place. However, it didn't last long: he roughly tore himself from his best friend's grip and stared at her with spite and rage imbedded on his face. Elle took a step back. This wasn't like Gary at all. He had never looked at her that way. He seemed ready to kill. _

_"You go back to the party, Eleanor Rose. Go waste your time with that sissy Ash, for all I care. I don't want to see your face again, you hear? Never again. NEVER!" he screamed. _

_Elle stood there, dumbfounded, as she watched her friend run away from her and into the woods behind Ash's house. A few moments later, she collapsed on her knees and began crying. What had happened? She stayed there for quite some time, unsure what to do. Something shiny finally caught her eye on the ground: Gary's good luck charm. It was a golden locket that presented a small hole on its side, big enough for a tiny key to fit, a key that Gary probably kept hidden somewhere else. She tried opening it, but to no avail. She sighed. Wiping away her tears, Elle attached it around her own neck and slowly walked back to her house. She felt like vomiting. _

A tear flickered from a much older Elle's eye. She rapidly shook it off, regaining her calm demeanour. She couldn't think of this now, not when a whole new world of opportunities was just about to unfold before her very eyes. She would become a Pokémon master at any cost. She would raise a powerful team of allies and defeat all who stood against her. She would win everyone's respect. Even his.

"I'll show you, Gary Oak. I'll show you just how wrong you were" she breathed, balling her hand into a fist around the boy's shimmering locket.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: **Again, I do not own Pokémon. Original characters are my own. Yes I am aware that my chapters are short, sorry T_T'' I'll get better in due time. Have fun!

**Chapter I**

"Up early, are we?" teasingly asked professor Oak.

"As always, sir", responded Elle with a sweet smile.

The early bird gets the worm, or so she had always thought. It was now 8 o'clock: she had been up ever since the sun rose, around 5 o'clock that morning. Sleeping hadn't worked out for her after all, but it really didn't seem to bother the soon-to-be Pokémon trainer. She already had her backpack with her, filled with food, clothes, money and various gadgets she would need later on. Her actual clothing was simple and comfortable: she wore a pair of black, hard-colored jeans, a purple tank top and open-ended black gloves. Her long hair was tied back into a high ponytail. A pair of ballerina style shoes completed her outfit.

"Come in, come in", urged the professor. "I'm impressed. Even my grandson isn't here yet."

"He's probably in his room grooming himself", she mocked, entering the laboratory.

Oak sweat dropped at this. Shutting the door, he directed the young girl into a room filled with poke balls and computer screens. In the center of the room stood a circular table covered by a glass dome. Inside the dome were three red and white poke balls: the starter Pokémon. Elle broke into a grin at the sight of them.

"I want the Charmander!" she chirped, pressing her hands onto the dome. "Can I have him, professor? Please say yes!"

"It's your pick, dear; you're the one who got here first."

"Alright, then Charmander it is!"

The professor smiled and pressed a small red button. The glass dome opened and Elle took the third poke ball with trembling hands.

"C-Charmander, I choose you!" she said, throwing the poke ball onto the tiled floor.

There was a brief flash of blinding light. Finally, Elle could see her Pokémon. Charmander was a small lizard-like creature with red skin and amber eyes. The tip of its tail burned brightly, indicating that it was quite healthy. It stretched its little arms and took a look at its future trainer. Blinking a few times, it gave a little snort, making smoke come out of its nostrils.

"Char!" it said happily, throwing itself onto Elle.

"Well look at that, it likes you already", smiled the professor.

"I like it too!" laughed Elle, who had fallen on her behind with the fire Pokémon in her arms. Charmander was proceeding to lick her face with joy.

"Now then, it seems all you need now are additional poke balls and a Pokédex."

"A what now?"

"A Pokédex. It's my invention, explained professor Oak, handing her a small red device. It enables you to record data on every Pokémon you see."

"That's really handy", Elle said, taking it.

"You know, Elle, when I was young, my dream was to collect information on every Pokémon in the world. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to complete that dream, and I can't possibly do it now. I want you to do it for me."

"M-me?" the girl gasped, scrambling to her feet, her Charmander clinging to her leg.

"Yes, you."

"You should ask your grandson instead."

"I'll ask Gary once he gets here, yes, but I do think the boy needs a little competition."

"What competition, grandpa?"

Elle turned to where the voice had come from. Gary stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a cocky smirk on his face. His spiky auburn hair hadn't changed one bit. He wore a purple long-sleeved shirt, dark pants and brown boots. On his neck hung a new pendant, one that resembled the ying and yang symbol.

"Well if it isn't little _Eleanor"_, he teased.

"Don't call me that!" Elle said, gritting her teeth.

"Why not? Isn't that your name?"

"You know very well why, Gary Oak."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. At any rate, looks like you finally got a Pokémon. I didn't even think you'd show up", he sneered, eyeing the Charmander carefully. "My Pokémon will be stronger, obviously."

"Who says?"

"Me, Kanto's next Pokémon master."

Elle began laughing mockingly, her Charmander imitating her to perfection. Gary blinked, momentarily surprised. He quickly shook it off, frowning.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, it's just difficult to believe a spoiled baby like yourself could ever become Kanto's next Pokémon master. Don't you still sleep with Momo the blankie?"

"N-no! What are you, stupid?" Gary yelled, his face turning beet red. "That was years ago!"

"Now, now, break it up you two", professor Oak finally intervened, exasperated. "Gary, why don't you choose a Pokémon? There's two left."

"No problem, gramps", the boy said, his confident smirk back on his lips.

Without hesitating, Gary took the second poke ball, twirled it on his right index finger for a few seconds, then pressed the little sphere's button.

"Squirtle, I choose you."

A tiny turtle-like Pokémon appeared before everyone's eyes. Its skin was blue with little variants of green here and there. The shell on its back was brown and shiny, as if polished. It had huge, yellow eyes that could make anyone melt. It stared quietly at the three individuals, and then laid its gaze onto Elle's Charmander.

"Squirtle."

"Char."

"Squirtle squirtle."

"Charmander!"

"SQUIRTLE."

"CHAR!"

"SQUIRRRRRRR."

"CHAAAAAAAR!"

A ball of fire suddenly flew from Charmander's mouth, hitting the barrage of water Gary's Squirtle had thrown at it. Annoyed, both Pokémon turned their backs on each other and waddled off to their respective trainers.

"They don't seem to get along very well", Elle said, sadly patting Charmander on the head.

"That's nothing new", Gary remarked in an accusing tone.

Elle looked up, surprised he would bring up the subject. He was now glaring at her. Professor Oak sighed, resigned. He knew he couldn't do anything to bring those two back together, no matter how hard he tried.

"Anyway, _Eleanor_, considering that you're akin to that loser Ash, it'll be easy for me to kick your lame ass in the Pokémon League", said the boy, changing the subject. His arrogance was evident.

"Ha, right. Wait until me and Charmander totally destroy you. You won't even be able to beat Ash, because, unlike you, he's going to become an excellent trainer!"

"Whatever you say. Gramps, I'm off. My adoring fans are waiting!"

"Fans, what fans?" Elle asked.

"Unlike you, I am important enough to have a group of supporters all to myself", Gary grinned.

"You mean the twelve girls who flunked math last semester?"

Glaring, Gary grabbed his Pokédex and left, followed by his Squirtle. Elle smirked herself this time, happy with her reply. Thanking the professor, she exited the laboratory with Charmander just as her ex best friend left town in a hot red convertible, surrounded by the same girls she had mentioned minutes before. He even had his own driver. Rolling her eyes, with no one to cheer her on, she decided to leave as well.

"Well, Charmander, where to?"

"Char!"

"Viridian City, huh? Good idea", she smiled, scratching its head. "I just hope Ash isn't late this time, or else there won't be a Pokémon left for him to take."


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, yada yada yada. You know the drill. Yes, I will keep saying this every chapter. :) I love you guys! And yes, there will be character development on Lucas throughout the story, he isn't just some filler character. Enjoy!**

**Chapter II**

"What do you mean this gym is closed?"

"The leader's been gone for months, miss; we don't know when he'll be coming back."

"This is ridiculous. And you call yourself a trainer?" Elle asked, furious.

"I'm sorry; you'll have to come back some other time."

"Yeah, well maybe I won't come back at all!" the girl said, stomping back to where she had come from.

"Char…"

"Don't worry, we'll just find another gym…I'll need some new Pokémon though. Wanna help me catch some?" Elle said, cracking a grin.

"CHARMANDER!"

"Great! Now…let's see…" the girl mumbled, taking out a huge map from her backpack. "If this is Viridian City, there should be a large grassy meadow near the road to Pokémon League, right on our left here. There's water there also."

Viridian City wasn't exactly a big metropolis. It would have been more appropriate to call it a town due to its sleepiness. The only thing that really stood out was the Pokémon center, smack in the middle. It was big, it was red, and it was empty most of the time. Without a gym leader, what was the point? Only passing trainers ever really stopped there, or bug catchers. Either way, Elle had more important things to do than sightseeing

After jumping over a few fences and struggling with poison ivy, she finally got to the meadow she had seen on the map. A slight breeze was blowing pollen into the air, making Elle sneeze with annoyance. There was a lot of unkempt grass. It seemed to be overthrown by freeloading plants here and there.

"You'd think the Pokémon League would take better care of its roads", Elle muttered, sneezing for the third time in a row. "At least the water's clear."

"Charmander, char!"

"I know, I know, you don't like water, but the next town's gym leader is Brock.

He uses rock type Pokémon, so we could use a water type, right?"

"Char…"

"I'll give it a shot."

Pulling out an old fishing rod from her bag, Elle drew closer to the small pool of water. Putting some bait on the hook, she threw the line into the water and waited. Sitting down on a rock, she couldn't help but yawn. It was going to take some time, but she never expected it to be so long.

"Why am I still here? It's been over an hour!" she complained angrily.

Right at that moment, something tugged on her fishing line.

"A bite? FINALLY!"

She tugged ferociously on the line.

For several minutes.

The line broke.

She threw a rock at the fleeing Pokémon.

Said Pokémon came flying out of the water.

And that is how Elle ended up receiving a Magikarp's flail attack right in between the eyes.

Literally seeing stars, the young girl fell backwards, gripping her reddened face with anger. The stupid fish, unable to return to its water home, splashed helplessly on the sandy ground. As her eyesight slowly returned, Elle couldn't help but let out a cry of victory.

"Magikarp, you're mine!" she yelled, throwing a poke ball at the weakened fish.

She watched anxiously as the ball shook, trying to contain the angry Pokémon. A few moments later, it finally settled, making a soft clicking noise in the process. It was over.

"Yeah! I did it! Charmander, did you see that?"

"Char!" happily screeched the lizard, jumping up and down.

"One down, 149 to go!" Elle cheered, grabbing the Magikarp's poke ball.

Satisfied, Elle returned to Viridian. After healing her newly caught friend, she decided it was time to move north. She crossed town, talked with a bizarre old man who wanted to show her how to catch Pokémon (as if she already didn't know) and finally made it to some kind of gate. Right in front of it was parked a convertible, the same lift Gary had taken earlier in the day.

"If his car's here, he can't be far. Gary's way too snobbish to use his own two legs", Elle spoke to herself, looking about. "Ah, I knew it!"

A bit further on, an unknown trainer was battling Gary, who looked rather confident and relaxed. His adversary was a young man, around their age. He wore a pair of black sweat pants, black and white trainers, a red t-shirt and a white cap with the Pokémon League's logo on it. Gary's Squirtle was locked in a fight with what appeared to be a small Bulbasaur.

"That's the third Trainer from Pallet! Charmander, let's go see" Elle commanded, running off to the battle field.

Unfortunately, the young girl failed at going unnoticed.

"Hey, Elle, wanna join my fan club?" said Gary, grinning at her approach. "I'm just about to wipe the floor with this guy."

"Gary, Gary, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can!" chanted his annoying cheerleaders. Elle groaned.

"No, thanks. I was just on my way to Viridian Forest. Thought I'd stop by and enjoy your massacre."

"Heh, sorry, but I'm gonna win. Watch and learn, little girl. Now, Squirtle, water gun attack!" Gary yelled.

"Bulbasaur, dodge it! Then, use leech seed!" rapidly said the other trainer.

The boy's Bulbasaur was amazingly quick. Dodging Squirtle's water gun as if it were a mere fountain, it used its vines to immobilize the little turtle. Then, it spat a barrage of seeds onto Gary's Pokémon. Elle gasped when she saw miniature plants start to grow on top of Squirtle's head.

"Squirtle, rapid spin, get out of Bulbasaur's grip!" commanded Gary.

The water creature began twirling at incredible speed, its head, arms and legs retreating into its shell. The challenger's Pokémon was forced to release Squirtle, its vines not being strong enough to stop it.

"Now, Squirtle, withdraw!"

"Bulbasaur, tackle it against the tree!"

The small dinosaur Pokémon rammed its head against Squirtle's shell, sending it flying through the air. Inevitably, the shell, along with what was inside it, hit the tree trunk with a massive impact, forcing the water Pokémon out of its hiding place. Gary had a confused look on his face.

"Bulbasaur", calmly stated the third Pallet Town trainer, "razor leaf, now!"

"Squirtle, don't let it hit you! Bubble!"

Gary stared at his Pokémon in horror: due to leech seed, it couldn't move. All its power had been absorbed during the fight. Squirtle took Bulbasaur's razor leaf head on, making it faint on the spot. Everyone stood there. Not a sound escaped anyone's lips, until the sappy cheerleaders began to cry.

"Gary, Gary, he's our man, if he can't do it, that loser can" they sobbed.

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Elle snapped.

"I'm sorry Gary, I didn't want to hurt your Pokémon" the winner said, a sad look on his face. "You'll have to take it to the Pokémon center. "

"…come back" was all Gary said, making his friend return inside its poke ball. His face was blank.

"Well, that was interesting, right Charmander?" smirked Elle.

"Charmander char!" it replied, waging its tail.

Turning to the anonymous trainer, the young girl stretched out her arm in hopes of a hand shake. The boy, surprised at first, responded and gave her a warm smile.

"You're really good", she smiled. "I don't remember seeing you in Pallet a lot, though. I'm Elle, what's your name? "

"I'm Lucas. I was born in Pallet, but I've actually been travelling with my father for the last few years. As an artist, he wanted to sketch live Pokémon. It was incredible, to tell you the truth. I only came back because I wanted to become a trainer myself!"

"I see. Well, it's a good thing you did. Gary deserved his loss."

Gary gave her a rotten look.

"Hey, which side are you on?" he spat.

"The winning side, of course" she answered contemptuously.

Returning to Lucas, she couldn't help but notice that he had the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. A light blush appeared on her cheeks.

"So, where are you headed now?" Elle asked.

"Same place you're going: the forest. I want to challenge Brock!"

"Great! Wanna go together?"

"With a girl as sweet as you, why not?" said Lucas, kissing her hand, his eyes never straying from her gaze.

Gary, who had been watching the whole scene, started stamping his foot on the ground, frowning. His face was slowly turning red from frustration. Why wasn't he the center of attention anymore?

"Hey, Lucas, you might want to watch what you're doing, that girl's already taken."

"I am NOT" barked Elle. "Where did you get that idea from?"

"That's right, I forgot: you left Ashy-boy behind. What a shame."

"Ash is my_ friend_, Gary. Get it through your thick skull. Why are you complaining anyways?"

"Not complaining, just thought I'd save the guy some trouble. Tomboys don't make nice girlfriends."

"Jealous?" Elle tried, grinning evilly.

"You know you love me. I'm just that great."

"As much as I adore our little conversation, Gary, I'd rather win badges than watch you kiss my ass. Lucas, let's go!"

Without further ado, Elle grabbed the blonde and merrily ran off into the forest's resting house. Gary Oak stood there, watching them leave, a pensive look on his face. Why wasn't she reacting like she always did? He didn't want to admit it, but it was seriously bothering him. Was it to impress Lucas? She didn't even know him. How…

"_Garyyy_, do we need to go into the forest? It's filled with bugs!" asked one of the cheerleaders.

"I'm scared."

"I don't want to mess up my makeup!" cried another one.

Gary sighed, interrupting his thinking.

"We'll go around it. Who needs them anyways?"


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon. I do, however, own Elle and Lucas. The Pokédex quote comes from Bulbapedia. That is all. :D I have a small surprise for you guys, though. I found a picture I had drawn when I was 8 today: a Charizard. It inspired me to begin drawing Pokémon again. SO! I decided to draw all of 'em. Yep. I have three done now, and I'll keep updating them frequently on the website called Deviantart. Search for Littlewaga, that's me. ****As always, I hope you enjoy!**

**P.S: Thank you to all the people who commented on my story, favorited it and put it on their watch list. :)**

**Chapter III**

"I didn't think Viridian Forest would be this…dark" whispered Elle, looking around her.

"It's grown a lot: look at the trees. Their leaves are thick and dense; the sun only shines through here and there", explained Lucas.

"And the air is so heavy! I feel like I can't breathe! I think we should get out of here as soon as possible."

Viridian Forest was a protected environment. It wasn't like the Safari Zone, but nevertheless, it had been preserved for decades by the villagers, who wouldn't stand to see it cut down and replaced by commercial landmarks. As a result, it had grown, and grown, and grown. The trees were very tall, their trunks a dark brown, their leaves a deep green that sucked in whatever sunlight was above like a sponge. Flowers and weeds had sprouted on the ground, entirely covering the dirt that lay underneath. The grass was tall just about everywhere, and the paths that had once been set there by humans were barely visible now. What was most disturbing, however, was the woodland's impenetrable silence.

"Just so you know, I'm claustrophobic" Elle said, fidgeting around nervously.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you", comforted the azure-eyed boy, squeezing her hand tightly.

Noticing that their hands had been glued together for a long time, the young girl discretely and sheepishly took hers away a few moments later. He was cute and everything, she had to admit, but for now she didn't feel anything for him. Eye candy was all he was. Elle hoped he'd turn out to be a good friend. At least, the guy was intelligent and polite. Good start, right?

"My map won't exactly help us here…", mumbled the brunette.

"I have an idea. Pidgey, go!"

A poke ball was thrown into the air, and out came a small bird-like Pokémon. It seemed incredibly fragile and innocent. Its feathers were brown and beige, making the small creature look very fluffy and cute. Its eyes, however, were sharp, alert and awake. Apparently, it had been well trained already.

"Wow, a Pidgey!" said Elle, her eyes brightening up. "I've always wanted one! Let's see what this thing says about it."

Smiling, she took out her new Pokédex to identify the creature.

"_Pidgey, the bird-like Pokémon"_, the machine began._ "Pidgey has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It is capable of unerringly returning home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings."_

"Pidgey, fly through the trees and try to find us a safe path towards the exit!"

"Gey!" was the only thing it said before disappearing into the hidden sky.

"Now, what do we do?"

"We walk. Pidgey will be able to find us afterwards", Lucas explained.

They walked for about ten minutes before something strange happened. Not looking where he was going (it would be impossible to see anything either way, considering the grass's height), the young boy accidentally stepped on something soft and mushy. A loud, searing cry pierced the air, making both Elle and Lucas cover their ears with their hands. What a terrible screech attack! Staring downwards, they saw a very angry looking Weedle, its poison point glistening in the dark lighting. Its abdomen looked hurt.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to step on you!" exclaimed the blonde, looking miserable. "Let me help you!"

Searching his bag, the youngster finally found one of the potions he had bought at the Poké mart.

"Weedle! Weedle! Wee!" the Pokémon cried angrily, glaring with fury in its beady eyes.

"Now, if I apply this…"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you", choked Elle, her voice barely audible.

"Why not? And why's your voice so cracked all of a sudden?" Lucas asked, looking up at her.

Following her awestruck gaze, he finally noticed the enormous horde of Beedrill that were murderously flying their way. Their wings made a horrible buzzing racket.

"You know, I don't think we have enough poison heals with us to withstand that kind of damage" he laughed nervously. "RUN!"

"WEEDLE!"

"BEEDRILL!"

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO STEP ON THAT STUPID INSECT!" screamed Elle, sprinting past the trees at vertiginous speed.

"AS IF I DID IT ON PURPOSE!" Lucas yelled back, pushing small branches out of the way as he ran.

"WELL, I'M NOT THE ONE WHO-"

There was a loud cracking noise. Something under Elle's foot shook: a few seconds later, an enormous net wrapped itself around the girl and her Charmander, dragging them both upside down into the air. Unfortunately for them, the Beedrill were getting ever so close to them.

"IS THIS A JOKE? Lucas! LUCAS! Help!"

"CHARMANDER!!!!!"

"Calm down!" he screamed, panicked. "Bulbasaur, I need your help!"

In a blinding flash of light, the small Pokémon appeared with a cry from its poke ball.

"I need you to cut down that net! Can you use razor leaf on it?

"Bulba!" exclaimed the tiny creature, nodding its head.

When both humans realized the ropes were too thick to be cut by using a simple razor leaf, it was too late: the wasp Pokémon were already attacking them with extremely poisonous darts. Bulbasaur got injured immediately, as well as Lucas, who tried fending them off with a stick, but to no avail.

"I have no choice! Charmander, you have to use ember to get us out of here! I'm sure it'll work: try burning a small hole in the net!", Elle asked her Pokémon, desperate for ideas.

"Char, charmander!" it said, pouting its little mouth.

A few seconds later, tiny flames started coming out from in between its fangs. As Elle had predicted, the entire net caught on fire. Protecting herself with her backpack, the stunned girl returned her friend into its resting place, making it easier for her to make a run for it afterwards. The fire spread to the top of the net, finally releasing Elle, who dropped heavily onto the ground. Her head, lacking any support or orientation, hit a rock, making the would-be teenager fall unconscious. Unfortunately, the flames continued climbing upwards, making the supporting tree catch on fire as well. Soon, many trees were burning, and it seemed as though there was no way to stop the incident. Frightened by the smoke, the Beedrill began randomly attacking anything that moved, including their kin.

"Elle! ELLE! Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

Only silence met his question.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: Me does not own Pokémon. Me owns OCs. Haha anyways, I'm glad that so many of you like my story. I'll probably draw the characters and put them on my DA page, it's actually a pretty nice idea! As for inserting people's characters into the fic...we'll see ;) You might get a surprised later on. Enjoy!**

**Chapter IV**

"What's that smell?" asked Gary, scratching his nose.

"It would seem that there is smoke coming from Viridian Forest, sir", calmly replied his chauffeur.

"Smoke? Do you think there's a fire?"

"Possible, sir. After all, it _is_ filled with trees and dry branches. It's bound to happen some time or another."

"I don't want coal on my face!" shrieked one of Gary's groupies.

"All that gunk is going to sully my hair!" moaned another one.

Mumbling, Gary turned away from the rambling women and gazed at the forest on his left. To his dismay, he noticed that the fire was already big enough to be seen over the tree tops.

_Is Elle still in there_?

"Tch, why am I worrying about her anyway, it's not like she's stupid enough to light an entire forest on fire."

An image of a feisty Charmander appeared in his head. Gary sweat dropped.

"…or is she…"

"Sir, it would appear that you are about to be attacked by a crazed Pidgey", announced the driver in his monotonous voice.

"Excuse m-"

Gary didn't have time to finish his reply: Lucas' Pidgey landed firmly on his head and started pecking at his skull with desperate insistence.

"HEY! Get off!" the rich boy exclaimed, trying to pry the bird out of his hair.

"PIDGEY! GEY! GEY! PIDGEEEEY!" it cried, letting go of Gary and flying up into the air.

The small animal began flying in circles, and then pointed towards the forest while chirping anxiously, its eyes filled with fear. Something was definitely up.

"_Garyyyy_! Get rid of it!" said his cheerleaders in unison.

"Just wait a minute, alright?" he snapped, shutting them up. "I think this is Lucas' Pidgey. See? Its eyes are green, not the normal brown color. I noticed that earlier in our battle."

_What if she's hurt? Or dead? Or…_

Shaking his head, Gary Oak gritted his teeth. He knew he wouldn't forgive himself if he just let those two morons burn to their grave, considering he could have helped them. Ordering his driver to pull over, he jumped over the convertible's passenger seat and began running towards the disaster. Police cars were already there and villagers from Viridian were staring at the flames in awe.

"I'm sorry, but you can't possibly go in there now", warned a blue haired officer, blocking Gary's way.

"There are people in there!" he barked, roughly pushing the woman out of his way.

"Come back here!"

"Lady, I don't give a crap about what you say anyway, so save your breath", he replied before entering the forest.

Almost every tree had caught on fire to some degree. Branches were falling here and there, making it a very dangerous place, even for the Pokémon who were used to living in the wild. Coughing, Gary made his way through the burning inferno. Rattata, Caterpie, Weedle and Pikachu were all running in the opposite direction, trying to escape their old home. Butterfree and Beedrill tried to fly away, but nearly always had their wings come in contact with the dangerous fire.

"This is no good, I can't walk properly" Gary protested, slowly becoming angry. "Squirtle, come out!"

"Squirtle!" it said, appearing with a delighted cry. Once it saw its surroundings, however, it shot its trainer a vicious glare.

"Don't give me that look", the boy replied. "Elle and Lucas are somewhere in this mess. Do you want them to die?"

"Squirtle…" it muttered quietly, staring at the ground.

"Great. All I need you to do is put out the small flames on the ground; it'll be easier for me to walk that way."

"Squirtle squirt!"

"Thanks, buddy, I owe ya a triple chocolate ice cream sundae when we get back", Gary offered with a small smile.

"SQUIRTLE!" the little turtle twittered, its eyes glistening with lust at the thought of the sweet dessert.

And so they began their trial through the burning woods. Squirtle was doing a great job at cooling down the area, making it a lot easier for Gary to try and find his two comrades. Nonetheless, the heat was getting intense, and the boy's face was covered in ashes, sweat tricking down his forehead. After a while, the tired lad finally heard something.

"HELP! If anyone's there! HELP!"

"It's Lucas! Squirtle, come on, faster!" Gary yelled, weary.

They finally reached the blonde, who was struggling with a collapsed tree.

"Hey! Lucas! Over here!"

"Gary? How come you're not in Pewter already?" asked the other one, shocked.

"Never mind that! Where's Elle?" Gary demanded.

"She's behind these trees, knocked out. I can't move the trunks all by myself, and the other side is completely blocked."

"How surprising of her", Gary grunted. "Let's try pushing together, alright?"

"Fine by me. "

They pushed, and pushed, and pushed, but the trunk wasn't budging one bit. Even with Squirtle's help, nothing could be done: they simply weren't strong enough. Looking through the limp branches, Gary managed to catch a glimpse of his lifeless rival, who seemed to be in very poor shape. He couldn't tell if she was breathing or not, but her clothes were torn in various places and there were burns on her arms. For once in his life, Gary Oak experienced true fear, a fear for his life and for hers. It couldn't end this way. He wanted to crush her in the Pokémon League, he wanted to show her he was the best, he wanted to laugh at her silly expressions, he…

He began crying. Even though the salty drops quickly evaporated in the high temperature, Squirtle had seen them. Only seconds later, a bushy branch fell from the sky, smacking both Lucas and Gary in the back. Letting out a cry of pain, Gary fell to the ground, followed by Lucas. Anger and resolve imprinted on his face, the brunette slowly got back up, holding his side with one hand. Knowing it to be futile, he still tried to move the despicable tree out of the way on his own. The little turtle Pokémon watched its trainer in awe, gaining new respect for the boy. Humans really weren't that bad, after all. They could love.

Squirtle's body began to glow, unleashing an iridescent light from every pore of its being. Squinting their eyes, both trainers looked up at the little water creature in confusion.

"What's going on?" asked Lucas.

"Squirtle is…evolving?" whispered Gary.

The shimmering ended, revealing the new Pokémon: a Wartortle. Its skin had changed from bright turquoise to smooth lilac. Its tail had grown long, white and fluffy, symbolizing its newfound wisdom. The shell on its back seemed harder, more mature. The look on its face reflected power, determination and passion, with a hint of arrogance, exactly like Gary's usual expression. Without a second thought, Wartortle withdrew and began spinning rapidly in the air, expulsing an incredible amount of water from its shell's five holes. The surrounding area was completely soaked in a matter of seconds. The air cooled down and became clearer as well.

"The fire's gone!" cried Lucas. "Now we can go around the trunks and grab Elle!"

"Way ahead of you" replied Gary, who was already sprinting through the trees.

Finally reaching the poor girl, he bent down and lifted her head and back, cradling her in his arms.

"It'll be fine now. I'll carry you out safe and sound, Elle. I promise" he whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon. Me owns Lucas and Elle :D. Anyways, sorry for not updating earlier, I was kinda busy with a job offer and...-__- well, you get the point. A bit of drama in this one, though, sorry for those who like action. Next chapter there should be some more POKÉMOOOON business. Anyway, enjoy, my lovely peeps. **

**Chapter V**

"W-where am I?"

Groaning, Elle slowly opened her eyes. She didn't recognise her surroundings. The girl was obviously inside a building, seeing as there were walls and a ceiling to stare at. Everything was white, as if she were in a hospital. The moment she thought of it, everything came back. She remembered.

"The forest! It burned up, and it was because of me…" Elle stated lamely.

Trying to sit up, she realized her entire body ached horribly, as if she had been hit by a couple of trucks. Her head, forearms and chest had been expertly bandaged, however, and it dawned upon her that Lucas had probably helped her escape the raging inferno. Where was he, anyway? After a few tries, she managed to sit upright, pressing her back into a soft, pink pillow. Her bag had been placed on an armchair, as well as the belt that held her two poke balls. Noticing that she wasn't wearing her old clothes, Elle started panicking. It didn't last long, for the young lady saw that someone had taken the time to buy her a clean set of garments in replacement for the older one. On top of them lay a single rose. A "get well" card rested on the little table next to her bed.

"How sweet" Elle said to herself with a smile. "I hope everyone is okay and that they were able to stop the fire from spreading…"

A few minutes later, there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in."

"Elle! You're finally awake!" cried Lucas, a big grin on his face.

"Sure am!"

Without wasting any time, the boy crossed the room in two leaps and gave his friend a big bear hug, crushing her wounds in the process.

"You…suffocate…pain…ahhh" she managed to spit out.

"Oops…sorry" Lucas apologized, releasing her. "Seems like you'll need some more time to heal. Nurse Joy was great, though. She really took good care of you!"

"I can see that" kidded Elle, sticking out her tongue. "Thanks for getting me out of there, Lucas. If it were someone else, they'd probably have left me there to roast like an overstuffed Pidgeotto."

"Actually, it was Gary who saved you. I only helped."

"What?" Elle exclaimed, gobsmacked. "How come he was in the forest?"

"That's what I asked him. Apparently, he saw the smoke and decided to investigate. That's when he found us" explained the blonde. "Squirtle evolved and basically saved all our lives. After that, Gary carried you all the way back to Pewter's Pokémon center, where we are now. I never thought that guy had it in him, honestly."

Elle was silent for a few moments, an incredulous look on her face. Her heart was beating way too fast. She didn't understand why Gary the Jerk would risk his life to save the person he hated most, along with the guy who had just kicked his butt in a heated battle.

"I guess you're the one who bought me new clothes?" Elle asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, no. That's Gary, too. The flower was also his idea, I only got you the card" Lucas said, scratching his head awkwardly.

"I don't believe it."

"Well, I do. You should have seen him, the guy was hurt and he still lifted you like it was no problem. I feel bad…I should have tried harder" Lucas mumbled, staring at his shoelaces in shame.

"What are you saying? You didn't abandon me! That's already incredible, Lucas. You're a real friend, and I'm glad I met you" the girl smiled adorably.

"You think so?"

"Stop being so damn modest. Of course I mean it!"

"Thank you" the boy beamed, still looking a bit shy.

"Now, can you help me up, please?"

"No problem."

It took a couple of tries before Elle could stand up straight without her head spinning from its previous trauma. Taking baby steps, she finally made it out of her room, supported by Lucas whenever she needed it. Nurse Joy, who hadn't been gone long, was the first to spot her. Clearly happy with her young protégé's recovery, she quickly came over and kindly greeted both of them.

"How are you feeling, dear?"

"A bit better, thank you. My head's a bit fuzzy, though."

"That's because you hit your little noggin on a rock, sweetie" explained Joy with a sad face. "It'll go away in a few days, but the bump will probably stay with you a bit longer than that, I'm afraid."

"Figured as much. Is my Charmander okay?"

"Yes. Fortunately, you had the good sense to recall it; otherwise, it may have been hurt just as much as you were."

"Great, at least I didn't screw everything up" Elle grumbled.

Feminine laughter reached the trio's ears. Moving a bit, Elle saw Gary and his cheerleaders talking (or should she say gloating) in the Pokémon center's lunch area.

"_Gary_, you're, like, so brave!"

"You risked your life for, like, some ugly _noboday_!"

"And looked _soooo _totally cool doing so!"

"Gary, Gary, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can!"

"Now, now, girls, calm down. Bragging won't get me anywhere" Gary said, an arrogant smirk on his lips. It didn't seem like he minded the attention at all.

A compact group had formed around him, and people from both Pewter and Viridian kept asking the boy to fill them in on his "heroic act". Smoke fuming out of her ears, Elle stomped over to them, grabbed a cane on her way there, and then proceeded to fend off the annoying fans from her arch rival.

"Get OUT of the WAY!" she yelled, brandishing her metallic staff.

"Ah, Elle! I see you're feeling better, thanks to me" remarked the brunette, cocking his head to the side, a huge grin on his face.

"YOU! Why are you still here? Is this your idea of a joke?"

"Whatever do you mean, dearest?" he mocked.

"You USED me in order to get attention from your six whores and the poor villagers who could have lost their homes. That's it. Now you DIE!" she yelled, throwing herself onto him.

"Whoa! Calm do-"

Elle's fist connected with Gary's jaw, shutting him up pretty quickly. She began battering him with a barrage of merciless punches, making her fragile wounds open once again. Her bandages were slowly starting to become soaked with blood. Either because of shock or fear of hurting her more, the young man didn't retaliate at all.

"Stop it you two!" warned Nurse Joy, frightened by the girl's sudden outburst. "This is a Pokémon center, not a battle field!"

"Elle, stop it! He's not worth it" said Lucas, trying to gently pull her away from Gary.

As she was being removed from the boy, something fell from around her neck and onto her rival's torso. Gary's golden locket, the one Elle had kept these many years, was now in front of its rightful owner. The tiny chain had been broken in one area due to the events that had occurred in the forest. Forcefully pulling himself up from the ground, the young man, who hadn't uttered a word since he had been beaten up, picked up the small jewel and stared at it with glazed eyes. Panting, Elle escaped from Lucas' grasp and quickly snatched back the locket she had previously claimed as hers.

"Elle, that's mine. Give it back, _now_" said Gary, not looking at her. His voice was incredibly serious.

"No. I found this three years ago. I'm sure you remember when that was. I've kept it ever since and I'm not giving it back" she retorted, anger flaring up her words.

"You have no idea what that locket means to me. Were you able to open it, by any chance?"

"No, I kept it just the way it was."

"Good. Now, give it to me, Eleanor. Please."

Elle looked at Gary, unsure what to do. It had been an extremely long time since she had seen that look in his eyes. He seemed hurt. A passive kind of anger was coursing through his veins. Strangest of all, she could feel sadness and regret emanating from him. The way he said her name left no doubt about it.

"No. I don't think I will."

There was a long silence. Finally, Gary sighed, shifting his gaze onto some fixed spot in front of him.

"Alright, keep it" he conceded. "Why do I even give a damn about that stupid thing after all these years? I don't need it anymore. The dreams it held are dead."

Gary paused, as if far away in his memories.

"I hope you liked the gifts I brought you, and I'm glad you're safe now" he said, his voice empty. "Girls, Albert, time to go now."

Elle watched as her childhood friend left the small hospital with his gang of bimbos…and Albert. There was a knot in her throat, although she wasn't quite sure why.

"He means a lot to you, doesn't he" softly asked Lucas, pulling her into a hug.

Elle Rose cried on his shoulder for what seemed like an eternity.


End file.
